Recently in the news, North Korea has invited foreign countries to view its progress on the upcoming space launch. It is set to occur between April 12 and 16 to mark the "100th anniversary of the birth of Kim II Sung, the founder of the communist state," according to CNN news.
The city of Pyongyang, the capitol and one of the largest cities in North Korea, says it's solely for "peaceful" purposes; but needless to say, our allies such as South Korea and Japan, which are the closest to the launch, have some concerns. The article goes on to say that the launch could be a cover for a long-range ballistic missile test, which would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.
After reading the article, I started thinking a lot about the changes that have been developing between North Korea and the United States. It's scary to think we have to constantly keep monitoring them ever since the death of their leader. Granted, we've always kept a watchful eye on the country, but now that their old leader has passed, it's as if the country has found new reason to exert their power even more.
The question not only comes down to what North Korea really is up to, but if this rocket is actually for violent purposes, does North Korea really understand what they are getting themselves into?
This question seems to ring with me most considering the current political and economic states of North Korea. Currently, there is a large food shortage in the country and has been for awhile. Ever since the famine that spread in the 1990s, the country has never been the same.
Also, there are still sanctions set on the country by the United States from years ago. These sanctions limit the amount of foreign exports into North Korea, which ultimately damages their economy. Granted, North Korea has not exactly followed all the sanctions, or has at least found ways around them, but they are still proving to be hurtful.
Finally, one of the biggest problems North Korea faces is its growing tension with the United States. If North Korea would try to appease some of these tensions, they would probably be on their way to having some of these sanctions lifted. This would help their relations with the international community, boost their economy and they would be on their way to gaining access to international financial institutions.
With all of this in mind, why is North Korea deliberately going against the word of not only the United States, but several other members of the U.N. and international community? Why are they spending all this money on sending a rocket up into space that could compromise their relationship with other countries, rather than spending it on helping the starving citizens of their country?
It makes me think of what my dad would say about a country that does all of this. Quite frankly, I could see him saying, "Well, that's just the way some countries are." This may be true, but I still don't understand why they wouldn't be more receptive to change, or simply following rules, even though it sounds a bit juvenile.
Clearly, there are other countries benefiting from listening to others, despite the differences on how we believe a country should be run. The United States doesn't agree with China's form of government, yet we do business with them all the time. Check your local Walmart for results.
The point is the people of North Korea are suffering, and it just amazes me how a group of leaders can stand by blatantly ignoring it, just so they can prove they aren't weak. It's no question that North Korea has powerful weapons, but do they really want to use them considering the trouble they are in?
I personally hope that never happens; it isn't something I particularly want to fathom, especially since I can't help thinking North Korea may not be aware of just how destructive a full-out war can be. In my eyes, it would only spell disaster. They may have one of the largest armies in the world, but their weapons don't exactly match up to the capacity of other countries. It's like they're trying to catch up to other countries' defense programs, and they're leaving their citizens in the dust while they're doing it.
No doubt there is a whole lot more to this issue than meets the eye, but it's scary to think of what could happen when a country is being incredibly protective of its reasons for militaristic actions while its economy and citizens suffer.
